HMS Arethusa commissioned on 21 May 1935 with Philip Vian as captain and Rear Admiral Lionel Wells aboard as commander of the Third Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean. Vian had been attending a war course at Greenwich and considered himself inexperienced for the appointment. He later wrote that Wells taught him on the bridge during the next two years. Wells favoured the bold course, valued brevity, and had little patience for hesitation. The demanding flagship appointment gave a future wartime commander an intensive education at sea.
Notable Point · 5:01-6:10
Philip Vian learns command under Lionel Wells
Arethusa's first commission placed Philip Vian under Rear Admiral Lionel Wells, whose terse and bold command style shaped Vian's education at sea.